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Saifish report from Guatemala

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bhorsley

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We just returned from 6 days in Guatemala.  Sarah and I hosted several groups.  The fishing was tough the toughest we have had in 12 years.  Sailfish like sun and slick calm which is the usual conditions in Guatemala.  We had six days of wind which made weird year a touch weirder.  Everyone caught fish but we had to make the most of some half hearted bites.   Our last day we found a big piece of float and our captain, Chris Sheeter decided to switch gears and pull all marlin teasers.  There were acres of small bonitos around the float and we raised a blue marlin in 15 minutes.  It was a big fish and would not eat the fly but checked it out several times.  I would happily tried the fish if had eaten the fly but it would probably ended poorly.   20 minutes later we raised another blue around 180 pounds.  Mike got the release on this fish in about 15 minutes.  An hour later another blue crashed the party --Sarah hooked the fish, 15 minutes later she was 6' for the leader and the fish blasted way and landed on its back and it looked like the tippet broke--strangely the hook pulled.   2 hours later we raised another blue but it would not tease.  

As always Casa Vieja Lodge was first class and the best place I know of to catch a billfish on fly 

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Edited by bhorsley

Brian Horsley

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We both Seigler and Makos reels.  The drags on the Seigler are on par with the Makos ---super smooth.  The Seigler will make more drag than the Mako --more than I will ever need.  We caught one blue marlin on the seigler and pulled the hook on another.   Seigler to me has the nod when it comes to blue marlin fishing.  This will matter to about .001% of the fly fishing population.  On the Makos, Tibors, etc we set the drag at 1.5 pounds for blue marlin.  It is all about surviving the first run (phase 1).  But we have had some hooks come out right out of the gate.  Chris now sets the preset on the seigler to 1.5 pounds when the drag lever is all the way off, but for the strike he now sets it at 5 pounds.  You set the hook then immediately slide the lever to all the way off where the drag is set at 1.5 pounds.  You don't have to look just slide it back with your thumb.  You can do it with the mako but you have to look for your tape mark on the reel.   Like a said thing would matter to .001 % of the fly fishing population.  

The picture is of Sarah putting some voodoo on a sailfish that interrupted her lunch 

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Brian Horsley

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  • 2 weeks later...
11 hours ago, BWalsh said:

Brian how many more species do you need for the Seigler challenge?  I believe I've seen pics of you with a Rooster and Seigler.. As always great pics and info

not sure not even what sure which species is on the box.  I have caught YFT, roosters, big red drum, sailfish and tons of albies, cobia, peacock bass.  great reels but are a little heavy 

Brian Horsley

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